Americans love their food. In fact, we spend about $341 billion on it annually, making food-related franchises the most common franchising segment. Franchise Direct recently released its Food Franchise Industry Report 2015, which showed some interesting trends in this industry.
Taking the Franchise World by Storm
A drive down any street in America will likely turn up numerous fast food and full service restaurants, so it’s no surprised that food-related franchises make up 33% of all franchise establishments in the U.S. Even less surprising is the fact that fast food restaurants account for 20% of the total of all U.S. franchise establishments.
Types of Food-Related Franchises
Franchise opportunities in the food industry extend far beyond the typical burger franchise, according to the report. Other on-the-rise franchises include:
- Full Service Franchises
- Coffee Franchises
- Pizza Franchises
- Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Franchises
- Bakery Franchises
One notable addition to this year’s report is the firm establishment of food trucks on the eating scene. While two years ago, food trucks were only beginning to emerge, they now have their own place among the brick-and-mortar restaurants.
Franchises like Taco Bell, Applebee’s, Jack in the Box, Johnny Rockets, Dairy Queen, and T.G.I. Friday’s are hopping on the food truck bandwagon with mobile versions complementing their brick-and-mortar locations.
The National Restaurant Association attributes the rise in popularity to food trucks to the following causes:
- 83% of consumers want quick service eateries with healthier eating options.
- 70% want a cuisine that’s not easily made at home.
- 62% want establishments that are “environmentally friendly”.
Get the Food Franchise Industry Report 2015
This year’s report has additional information on how fast food franchises are fighting stagnation, as well as trends we’re seeing this year. Get the report here.